new criminal laws in india, A lot is going to change in the criminal justice system of India. Three new criminal laws are being implemented from July 1, i.e. today. These three laws will replace the British era laws. From today, the Indian Judicial Code will replace the IPC made in 1860, the Indian Civil Protection Code will replace the CRPC made in 1989 and the Indian Evidence Act will replace the Indian Evidence Act made in 1872. After the implementation of these three laws, there will be a major change in the functioning of citizens, police, lawyers and courts.
According to the Home Ministry, some sections have been changed in the new laws, some new ones have been added and some have been abolished. Let us know how much impact the three new criminal laws will have on the common citizens of the country and what changes will come in the judicial system?
What is new in the three laws?
- The British-era CRPC contained 484 sections, while the Indian Civil Defence Code contains 531 sections.
- In this new law, prominence has been given to evidence collected electronically (audio-video).
- Any citizen can lodge a Zero FIR anywhere in the country in connection with a crime. It should be transferred to the concerned police station within 15 days.
- A chargesheet has to be filed within 90 days of filing the FIR. Charges have to be framed within 60 days and judgment has to be given within 30 days of completion of the hearing.
- The sedition law has been abolished and changed to treason. For the first time, the government has also interpreted terrorism, which was not there in any law till now.
- For mob lynching, this law provides for punishment ranging from life imprisonment to death penalty.
- Forced intercourse with wife will not be considered rape. Apart from this, intercourse by promising marriage has also been excluded from the category of rape. A separate section has been added for this, which can result in a maximum punishment of 10 years.
- In cases of sexual violence, only a female judicial magistrate will record the statement. The victim’s statement will be recorded in front of a female police officer at her residence.
- The accused will get seven days to file a petition for acquittal. The judge will have to hear the case in those seven days and the case will be heard in a maximum of 120 days.
- Summary trials in minor criminal cases will be expedited. Magistrates can now conduct summary trials in cases with punishment up to 3 years.
- Those convicted of punishment of 10 years or more, life imprisonment or death sentence can be declared proclaimed offenders.
- There will be a new provision for confiscation of property outside India of declared criminals.
The decision will come within 45 days
The date after date system is being abolished in the courts of the country. This means that justice will be delivered as soon as possible with the implementation of the new law. Under the new laws, the verdict in criminal cases will come within 45 days of the completion of the trial and charges will be framed within 60 days of the first hearing.